The fate of Iraqi Kurdistan, having voted to secede from Iraq, remains uncertain. Iraq has halted all flights into the region, and is now making efforts to try to seal off the entire Kurdish border with the rest of the world.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has refused demands to hand over all borders crossings to Iraqi authority. As with the airports, Iraq is looking to go around them and take the border crossings from the other side.
Iraq’s Defense Ministry says they intend to “seize” all of the border crossings in coordination with both the Iranian and Turkish governments. This would cover most of Iraqi Kurdistan’s border with the outside world, excluding only northeast Syria.
That may be a tougher battle, as that part of Syria is under the control of another Kurdish faction, and while the two Kurdish groups aren’t on the best of terms, they’re also unlikely to back the Iraqi central government in sealing off the border outright.
Both Iran and Turkey have substantial Kurdish minorities on the border, and fear the ramifications of an independent Kurdistan in the area. This has them both backing Iraq in their increasingly bellicose threats to reclaim control of the Iraqi Kurds before they can successfully exit the country.
So who are we going to side with and when does the next war start?
Kinda hard to support Catalan independence, but oppose Kurdish efforts to have control over their own people and lands.. I suppose these disputes in ancient societies can never be simple, easy and painless. Certainly the brain dead violent crackdown goes a very long way towards Madrid having proven itself unqualified to govern Catalonia… What would have been a far better for Madrid to deal with the independence trend, would have been to negotiate any grievances and werk out a compromise. Trying to snuff out the grievances of the Catalonians with the word “NO” is a place too far. Now we will witness what happens when the central state loses sight that they need the consent of those they wish to tax & govern, I stand with the Catalans… Viva Catalonia!!!!!
The Kurds are determined to be free and, even with all their guns and bombs, Iraq, Turkey and Iran can’t kill them all. To these nation states I say make peace with your neighbors or prepare for your own private Vietnam. Nothing can stop a people from being free. Nothing.